This is a museum in progress but it was still pretty decent. I liked that they included pottery and…read moreitems from more recent times to tie in with the past. Overall I do wish they didn't cover over some of the signage with paint but it's very reading intensive. Kids probably wouldn't find this as interesting Would love more interactive parts like being able to touch beading, playing cultural songs, I loved the portion where you hear their language by syllables Really interesting and the girl at the counter was super sweet. The gift shop was kind of expensive- a sticker was $6.. overall easy parking and access.

Having visited many years ago the museum is in transition. They have taken out many items and are…read morelooking to eventually build a new facility. It was an average experience but one bit too be missed if wanting educating on the Cherokees.

Cherokee Transit saved our trip…read more Our car broke down, and without the transit we would not have been able to enjoy the area. They have downtown routes (found on their website) and all you have to do is text them at 828-269-5790 and tell them what number you're at, and what number you want to go. It's that easy. The car took days to fix, so this allowed us to visit all the lovely main attractions in the area and have great meals to boot. It's extremely easy to use, clean, efficient, and honestly, I would rather use the transit if I returned than drive around trying to find where things were located. For those of you that like to drink at the casino, this provides a safe way for you to explore the more beautiful and historic areas of the city. Highly recommend. Also, beware of taxi drivers in this area. We tried to call several, but only one answered and gave us a quote. We get in the car and the meter is already at $10 and, "I don't know why, I just do what my boss tells me." They then tried to charge us $40 more on top of what they quoted once we arrived at the car dealership as the meter was running at insane speeds. It was over $60 for a very short ride. My recommendation is, if you have to go any distance out of the main downtown area, hire a taxi from your destination city, not within Cherokee. It was a total sham.

Thank you Cherokee Transit. Your service is phenomenal as are your employees, notably Peyton and…read moreRichie. We spent four days in Cherokee without a vehicle. Cherokee Transit provided us with very affordable and punctual transportation to all of our destinations. We truly enjoyed learning about the area from our very friendly and knowledgeable drivers. Thanks again for all you do.

This is a great little place, to visit for the day. A lot of little shops and no trolls or zombies…read moreout and about. If you looking for a quick visit, this is your place. When looking for the elks and they couldn't be found.

After visiting Navajo Monument Valley last year, coming to Cherokee Indian Reservation made for a…read morefascinating afternoon. The area is beautiful, and it breaks my heart that the Cherokee were forced to leave it on the trail of tears. We were fascinated by the street signs in Cherokee language. Unfortunately, due to the Covid, the tribal village was closed and the outdoor pageant had been cancelled for the whole year. I would have loved to experience both of those and maybe ride a tube down the river as we saw many tourists doing. Driving down mainstreet Cherokee, we saw a few small Native American dance performances. I absolutely realized they were put on for tips and to lure tourists into the gift shops, but I couldn't help to stop and watch. I would love to come back during a "regular" year and experience more of the authentic Cherokee culture. True, there is an ugly casino and cheap tourist trap stores, but there are also some authentic trading posts and much of value to see here. I would recommend making a trip to Mingo Falls if you pass through, very beautiful and accessible without a long hike.

The GOOD Beautiful scenic driving and views. Cute tourist…read moreattractions and shops. Cherokee has the casino and museum as some of the biggest attractions here. The masks in the museum were fascinating. I liked the museum and seeing the painted bears around the city. The coin machines to make your personalized imprinted Cherokee coins were a favorite of mine. The BAD & THE SAD: We did see some tweekers getting high in their cars. Lots of trailer parks and abandoned buildings. The people in the town's museum were nice, but the staff seemed quiet and not very friendly & communicative. The casino had its high and lows. Everyone seemed to be more somber in this tourist town that depends on tourists for their income. It was kind of depressing.

I am a big fan of the Cherokee nation and its capital. I must say that I don't always like all…read morethe tacky shops with moccasins and rebel flags (seriously in this day and age), but the museum, culture, people, and the river park are aces. There is a big casino there for those who like that sort of stuff...and you can find boiled peanuts. Food is ...eh...still looking for a great local restaurant but I know one exists...ill find it. I

Mingus Mill is a very short drive from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. So if you are close by it is…read morecertainly worth a stop to see this gem. Mingus Mill was built in 1886. It is a water powered turbine grist mill that is still operational and in its original location. You can buy corn ground there as well as flour, cornmeal, lye soap and some jams and apple butter. It is cash only. Once you pull into the parking area, it is a short walk to get to the mill. The mill is two stories and you can explore both levels. Restrooms are available at the parking area. If you wish there are some trails you can take to see more of Mingus Creek.

This historic mill appears to have been water powered back in the day. On my visit, the mill had…read moresome technical difficulties and was not running, though apparently it sometimes does. The visitor center promised actual grains for sale ground by this mill, which were not available when I went. Maybe it's a seasonal thing, as I doubt a little mechanical issue could disrupt things that much. Either way, the site is nice to look at even if there isn't as much happening as I'd hoped.

This was a trip back in time to enjoy the tribe showing the ways of crafting, weapons making and…read morethe classic housing. With the finale being the dances of the tribe. This is well worth visiting to see the culture and the wonderful people.

Oconaluftee Indian Village is a great place to visit to learn more about the Cherokee and how they…read morelived in the 1700s. As I bought a combo ticket with Unto the Hills and wasn't given a ticket for the Village I arrived with my receipt and ticket for the show. That was scanned and allowed me in. Tours start about every 15 minutes or when a large enough group is formed. The tour is guided and we stopped at stations to learn about weaving; bead work; woodworking. Some of the stops were at dwellings and ritual sites. We saw traps for animals. They had a unique way to catch fish with the trap that was placed in the water. Some of the stops didn't have anyone working so the guide just talked about it. One guide took us on the tour and two separate guides talked with tour groups mixed together about the customs and rituals in the Council House. There was no dancing done at the dance grounds. They did talk about the different tribes.

Celebrated the 75th year of this outdoor musical theater event with my first visit…read more We purchased tickets ahead of time on the website, which was quite easy to navigate. Seats have plenty of space between your knees and the seat back in front of you; if your feet don't quite touch the ground they have footrests you can borrow from the ushers, a nice touch. Parking was easy to navigate and clearly marked. The preshow was jovial and included both music and a closing choreographed piece. This was worth arriving at 7:30 to enjoy. The performance itself was well done, with more dance numbers than I had expected. The occasional cannon and musket blasts kept us alert and the actor/dancers were enthusiastic and fun to watch. The history as presented was consistent with other sources we experienced this trip to Cherokee country.

Head to the Great Smoky Mountains & there you'll find "Unto These Hills". A story of the Cherokee…read morebefore the Trail of Tears up to present day. The outdoor drama is performed in a 2100 seat amphitheater. This is their 75th Anniversary season that runs from 5/31/25-8/23/25. Unfortunately we got rained out & weren't able to see the show, however we did have the Pre-Show Dinner ($20 each). Note, I recommend buying the $5 Performance Insurance since The Smokies are in a rainforest & rain is always likely...bring a poncho & blanket too. My husband saw the show many years ago & said it was amazing, I'm assuming it still is today. The scenery was gorgeous, very lush & green. There were several attendants directing cars & a greeter instructing where to get tickets. Most of the instructions given were quite unclear & confusing. All of us waiting for dinner had no instructions of what to do once we found our tables. Our meal consisted of Pulled Chicken BBQ, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans, Coleslaw, Hushpuppies, a drink & a Cookie for dessert. The dinner was not good & it was not homemade. The meal was very bland & lacked flavor. With that said, next time I'm in the beautiful Smokies I will go to see the show & hope I don't get rained out!

We booked our tour & paid online several months ago. When…read morewe went to take our tour on Saturday, nobody was there. We called & were advised that this location is closed. This was frustrating as we had planned our evening around the tour. We were very disappointed. DO NOT BOOK.

Fontana Lake tour was amazing! Pilot (Damon) was great and knowledgeable about area. Went in the…read morefall during peak leaf season.

This is the third waterfall on the loop at Deep Creek. It's just off to the right of where you go…read morein with your tubes during the summer. Very easy to get to, once you're already up at the top. You can see all three waterfalls and do the loop in about an hour.

Indian Creek Falls is very easy to reach from any of the multiple parking areas, making it perfect…read morefor everyone in the family. It's the 3rd tallest of 3 waterfalls you can easily reach from the same trailhead. It is also just a couple hundred feet upstream from the put-in for the tubes. If you continue past Tom Branch Falls about a quarter of a mile, you will see a bridge crossing Indian Creek. Here the Deep Creek trail intersects with Indian Creek Trail, which leads uphill to Indian Creek Falls. You will encounter a set of stairs just a few hundred feet along the trail that will take you down to view the falls. On the return hike you can break off on another connecting trail that leads to a third waterfall named Juney Whank Falls. You can then continue along the trail and it will loop you back to the parking area. We decided against Juney Whank Falls due to time since we were on a mission to visit a few other places, but we did take time to rent tubes from Smoky Mountain Campground. FAIR WARNING FOR ANY FAMILY RENTING TUBES - Deep Creek can be very fast moving, especially after heavy rains and our crew found it very difficult (the word traumatic was used) to get out of the river. Our 27 year old daughter and her husband as well as our 17 year old son did everything they could to safely get our 8, 7 & 6 year old grandsons to shore safely... even lost two of the tubes in the process. [ THINGS TO KNOW ] WATERFALL HEIGHT Indian Creek - 25' (attractiveness: 6 out of 10) Tom's Branch - 60' (attractiveness: 7 out of 10) ROUNDTRIP HIKE - 1.6 miles to both falls, add a quarter mile for all three falls PARKING - plentiful, but limited near the trailhead RESTROOMS - YES PICNIC AREA - YES TRAIL TO FALLS - flat, wide and all gravel BIKES ALLOWED - YES WARNING: Black bears are sometimes active in this area. Pets are not allowed on this trail. CAMPGROUND 92 individual campsites Each has grills, tables and campfire rings. Hookups & showers are not provided, but flush toilets and drinking water are available. [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Indian Creek Falls was a great stop along our route from Metro Atlanta to Pigeon Forge, TN. We were so impressed with the Deep Creek campground area that we may return for an overnight stay. There are a number of hiking trails and nearby Bryson City has plenty of restaurants to make a food loving hiker happy! 2022 / 92